Grambling athletics director Aaron James, left, and university President Frank Pogue were among the administrators who tried to meet with the football team Tuesday night. / Gannett Louisiana

by Matt Vines, USA TODAY Sports

by Matt Vines, USA TODAY Sports

Not one Grambling football player attended Wednesday afternoon practice after players walked out of a Tuesday meeting with administration, according to a member of the football program.

The source said players aren't happy with the way they are treated, and frustrations boiled over Tuesday during a meeting with university President Frank Pogue, athletics director Aaron James, interim head coach George Ragsdale and student government President Jordan Harvey.

The Tigers have lost 13 consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference games and 17 overall to NCAA programs.

The meeting occurred to address the reasons for bus travel to games in Kansas City, Mo., and Indianapolis and the firing of head coach Doug Williams in mid-September.

But players walked out as the meeting became increasingly negative, according to the source, and the entire team left.

University spokesman Will Sutton said the meeting was intended to show the administration's support for the team and said "some" players left.

"(The administration) knew that emotions were raw," Sutton said. "No matter what, it was going to be a challenge for the team to feel good after this season and last season.

"That's part of the reason why we have a new (athletics director) and are looking for a new football coach. The president wanted to make a point that the university supports and appreciates the team and these students, and that the administration will do everything we need to do for the future success of the program."

The source said the teams' frustrations have been boiling over a period of time. Those frustrations include what's considered as general disrespect from the administration, not receiving all meals on road trips, taking a bus to distant locations such as Kansas City, Mo., and Indianapolis, and the poor state of facilities like the weight room.

Grambling won a SWAC title as recently as 2011 and has 13 national black college titles to its credit, the most recent in 2008. The program was brought to prominence by the late Eddie Robinson, whose 408 wins from 1941-97 officially rank as most among NCAA Division I coaches.

Players attended morning weight training Wednesday until the session abruptly ended when a player was kicked out after voicing his opinion about Tuesday's meeting.

That walk-on was initially dismissed from the team, but the source said he was allowed back on the team and that Ragsdale is considering a suspension instead.

"It was basically a mutiny," the source said. "(The team) rode the bus all that way (to Indianapolis), and then come back and are disrespected like that (in Tuesday's meeting).

"(The team) is standing together because they don't know if anybody else is standing with them."

Sutton added that the administration isn't mad with players who are frustrated.

Several players didn't respond to text messages, but junior linebacker Steve Orisakwe took to Twitter to vent his frustration.

An Alcorn State administrator confirmed the Braves flew to Indianapolis for Saturday's game, which the Braves won 48-0.

Athletics director James flew to Indianapolis and Kansas City for Grambling's games, but Sutton said James paid for his ticket and not the university.

Assistant coaches were not invited to Tuesday's meeting, and the source said that trust between assistants and Ragsdale is waning.

The source said the administration told the staff that everybody would keep their job until at least December, but defensive line coach Ezil Bibbs was fired after that statement.

Players are also upset with assistant coaches for not attending the meeting, according to the source.

Ragsdale declined comment to the media Wednesday morning. But he said Monday that it's like the players are going through "a divorce" with the coaching change.

"From August until when they let Doug go, they were focused on (his direction)," Ragsdale said Monday. "Then they changed midstream, and when you're dealing with young people ... that mindset is the toughest thing to deal with.

"(My running backs) were sad for (Williams) but happy for me (as an interim). It's almost like a divorce."

Ragsdale was running backs coach under Williams before being promoted to interim coach after the team lost its first wo gamest.

Grambling (0-7, 0-4 SWAC) is scheduled to continue its season Saturday at Jackson State (5-2, 5-0).